Managers said they had also almost doubled the size of the dining room while trying to keep a welcoming and homely atmosphere.

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He chose white linen floor-to-ceiling curtains that ride on a track between the kitchen and dining rooms that can close to create a more secluded, "formal" atmosphere for diners, Mr. Greenwald says.

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Even so, the maitre d' insisted that bar patrons not walk through the empty dining room and instead use a hallway skirting the area -- a hint as to what kind of atmosphere the hotel tries to maintain.

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